1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to electronic timing and location devices worn by endurance athletes competing in races, and specifically relates to retainer devices for releasably attaching such timing and location devices to an athlete's clothing.
2. Statement of the Art
Marathon and other endurance races have been run for many years, but have become increasingly more popular in the past two decades. With the increased popularity of endurance races has come an increase in the number of participants involved in endurance races. Large races, such as the New York marathon, can have over thirty thousand participants running the race. It has thus become increasingly more difficult to monitor the high number of participants in a competition and, more importantly, to monitor the progress of the race. In recent years, there have even been a number of incidences of front-runners having, in reality, exited and re-entered the course in order to improve their time and position in the race. Unscrupulous athletes are able to take advantage of the course because of the high number of participants and spectators lining the course.
More importantly, obtaining exacting statistics relating to race times has been difficult in the past because of the high number of participants and ineffective monitoring systems. In recent years, however, new timing devices have been developed which enables more accurate monitoring of each runner and improved collection of timing data. Timing devices, such as those manufactured by ChampionChip Holding B.V. of The Netherlands, are worn by the athletes, particularly on the athlete's shoes, and major endurance race organizers are now requiring all participants to wear timing devices because of the accuracy of the timing and location data that can be obtained.
Prior to the beginning of a race, the athlete is provided with a timing device by the race officials and is required to attach the timing device to the athlete's shoes; that is, by feeding the device through the laces of his or her shoes and tying the timing device in place on the shoe. As the athletes move along the course of the race, they pass check points at which an electronic receiving device is stationed. The timing devices are structured with a transponder which sends a signal detectable by the receiver. Thus, as the body of athletes passes each check point in the length of the course, the receiving device can detect the presence and relative time of each participant's movement through the course. At the end of the race, the participants are required to return the timing device to the race officials, which typically involves cutting of the shoelaces to release the timing device from the shoe.
Because attachment of the timing device to the runner's shoelaces can be timeconsuming, can result in loss of the timing device if the laces come untied and can result in damage to the shoes from cutting the shoelaces to remove the timing device at the end of the race, it would be advantageous to provide a retainer structured to releasably engage a timing device on an article of athletic clothing in a manner which enables ease of attachment, which prevents loss of the device during the race and which prevents damage to the athlete's clothing when the timing device is removed for returning to the race officials.